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Ari had moved to New York after a lifetime of trauma. It’d been one thing after another. The last few years especially. He’d didn’t have anywhere near enough saved when he left. His “hometown” had become nothing more than a place he’d grown up in. The jobs didn’t pay well or have livable hours. It was a daily struggle for him and so many others as a result. The hours and pay were geared toward retirees with nothing else to do and teens who needed their first job. It left everyone else struggling to survive. Ari had planned ahead. He still hadn’t been able to save much anyway. 

He’d left after an argument with Ben. He’d told Ben everything needed to hear. Things Ben didn’t want to hear. Ari packed and left after Ben stormed out and left the house. Ari was gone by the time he got back. He stayed at the train station that night just so he’d be there in the morning. It was going to be a long train ride to New York City from the rural Florida area he was in. A roomette being the only splurge he’d allowed himself to have. His best friend Shiloh had told him he could stay with them for the night. He declined. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Their tearful goodbye meant they’d be separated for the first time in years. 

Ari understood why his grandmother loved it in New York. His paternal grandparents were born and raised Brooklynites. They’d moved to South Florida after their marriage to be closer to his paternal great grandparents. A wave of memories of his grandparents washed over him. Memories of his childhood. When his grandfather died after being ill for a while. His grandmother's death a few years prior. The conversations he had with her during his visits twice a year to see her. He’d fully understood why she missed it there so much. He’d fallen in love with the city by the end of the first week he was there. 

His faith in humanity was restored in that first week. Complete strangers that helped him get everywhere. Information desks that gave him various guides that would help him get around easier. A month had passed before he found a job. He’d applied everywhere he could. He’d either heard nothing back or was told he wasn’t a good fit for the job. He was losing hope until he’d found a job in a Cafe near the abandoned building he’d been staying in. His co-workers found out and helped him. Talia helped him get into an apartment for rent in her building. She’d told Max everything after finding out Ari’s current living conditions. Max let him move in and start paying rent when he had the money for it. Ari kept asking if Max was really letting him do that. Max reassured him it was the right thing to do. That he was going to have it in the next few months. To worry about getting on his feet during that time. 

One year had passed since he’d moved to New York. He’d been far happier since he settled into his apartment. He’d been too scared to unpack during the first few weeks he was there. Talia, Max, along with everyone else at the Cafe dropping by with things they knew he’d need for the apartment that left him speechless. That it was okay for him to unpack. A small dresser, a few plates, utensils and bed had been the only things he had after moving into the apartment. The bare minimum he was fine with. Until the housewarming party. Everyone let him know how proud they were of him. They saw him breath a sigh of relief he’d been holding in until that night. He was grateful to have people in his life that were helping him. He let go of his past and embraced the present. He embraced the brighter future he had while he was at it.